Pontiac Assembly Line photos

[Keith Seymore]

Back lot of Pontiac:



For comparison, here's a pic of the back lot from my alma mater - Flint Truck Assembly

[Keith Seymore]

Painting rally wheels - these happen to be truck wheels, but the process is the same:

[Keith Seymore]

Oakland Motor Car Company Headquarters:



This building is still standing on Oakland Avenue in Pontiac and is use as a community center.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Pontiac Motor Division:



Pontiac Michigan postcard - final assembly plant side:

[Keith Seymore]

Technically not an assembly "line" photo, more assembly research.

This is a Keller machine -



It is a tracing/duplicating machine; the pattern is located at the top, and the bottom portion is machining a die or a mold, in this case.

The pattern is lined with masking tape, to provide roughly .007" additional material, which is then polished out by hand. My Dad, trained as a tool & die maker, called masking tape "Keller tape" in casual conversation for this reason.

You'll note the pattern in this case is the original mold for the front clip of the '53 Corvette. The photo was taken at the GM Assembly Research Center (GMARC), located on the north east corner of the Flint Assembly property, and is also where the first 300 Corvettes were assembled.





I worked in this building off and on early in my career, but sadly this building is no longer there.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Sidebar: Car Haulers -

No assembly plant stories would be complete without discussion about the trucks that hauled them away.





You'll notice these two haulers are owned by the "FJ Boutell Company" - significant to me since I had not one but two uncles who drove for Boutell. In fact, one of my uncles is the gentleman that loaned Mr Boutell the money to start his company.

Ever here an urban legend about a truck driver that ripped the top off a Buick showcar via a freeway overpass; the car being saved and subsequently turned into a convertible? That would be my Uncle Joe. Fortunately, his relationship with Mr Boutell (and their earlier financial transaction) probably saved his job that day.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Found this looking for something else:

[Keith Seymore]

Nobody's posted this one yet?!?

[Keith Seymore]

Here's what I was looking for.

This is the Pontiac Michigan complex as it stands today:



The building with the vines on it is the old Engineering Building on Joslyn Ave. The white building is the old Pontiac Administration building. These buildings are used by GM Powertrain now:













This white building stands where final assembly used to be, and is a US Postal Service facility.

[Keith Seymore]